In light of Roe V Wade being overturned, Father Barr will be holding a Holy Hour of Healing today Friday June 24th at 3:00pm. Join us at St. Joseph Church.
We will pray in reparation for the sin of abortion, and for all the mothers who have suffered through the emotional strife of them.
For more details on the subject, please see the below attachement;
We have reservations at the Fireside Dinner Theatre on Wednesday, November 16th to see the stage adaptation of Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS!
With a series of romantic mix-ups and 17 Irving Berlin songs, White Christmas is a musical to enjoy at any time of year, but is especially loved at the Christmas season. This year you will have the opportunity to choose your entree in advance.
You may select from: • Grilled Pork Ribeye • Beef Short Rib • Grilled Shrimp All are served with Seafood St. Jacques Appetizer, Whipped Potatoes with Garlic and Herbed Cheese, Baby Carrots, Cranberry Orange Cheesecake. Drinks are Coffee, Tea or Milk.
* You MUST select your entree at the time you make your reservation * The bus will leave from St. Joseph Church at 8:45am and return approximately 6:00pm.
The cost is $115 and this includes the chartered bus, dinner, show and all gratuities. To register or for more information, call Mary Koppi (815) 232-4687.
Payment is due no later than October 14th;
Please make checks payable to “St. Joseph Church” and place in the collection in an enveloped marked “BUS TRIP”
RESERVATIONS ARE LIMITED, CALL SOON.
If you know anyone who may be interested, please spread the word! We will have a few posters up in the church with all the needed information.
If you don’t have enough to eat, the Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry can help!
Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry distributes nutritious food to high-need areas. Food is free to neighbours in need; no ID, proof of address or income is required. Food is distributed on a first-come, first served basis, while supplies last.
Due to Covid-19, the Mobile Pantry distributions have moved to a contactless drive-thru model, with pre-packedged boxes of groceries.
For additional food resources, visit www.SolveHungerToday.org/GetHelp
Join us:
Monday, June 20th, 2022
10:00am – 11:30am
Located at St. Joseph Church
229 W. Washington Place
Freeport, IL 61032
* Sponsered by the Society of St. Vincent De Paul *
So your child is home from school on Memorial Day. They’re probably excited to play, watch tv, eat snacks, or bust out the video games. And that’s great in small doses! But Memorial Day is a special holiday preserved for the memory of fallen heroes taken by war. It wouldn’t hurt to take the little ones aside for ten or twenty minutes and get them tuned into something creative in the spirit of this day. If your babies are bored stiff sitting at home or annoying you senseless, then this might just be a productive way to get them involved, and have fun doing it!
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.
~John McCrae
Inspired by John McCrae’s poem, the poppy flower has become a symbol of remembrance for Memorial Day.
CRAFTS!
What you’ll need: All of these crafts can be done with just regular paper, scissors, glue and markers if you are short on resources. But if you want to get extra creative, your art supply kit may also add in; Paint, Crayons, Colored Pencils, Craft Foam, Play Dough, Cookie Cutters, Coffee Filters, Felt Pieces, Tissue Paper, Cupcake liners, Cardboard Paper, Buttons, Straws, Boxes, Pipe Cleaners, Paper Clips, Leaves, Sticks, and Etc.
Sometimes simple is more fun. And sometimes we don’t have that many craft supplies just laying around the house. Or maybe we don’t have time to supervise our kids around scissors and glue! If you need something a little easier or safer, these other printable activities might be perfect for you!
These might take a little more effort, and help from mom and dad. But if you need plans for fun things to do or yummy treats to make, these might pique your interest!
Split the batch of frosting into thirds. The first third we left white and we tinted the other two red and blue.
Using a Wilton 2D frosting tip, make two full circles of red frosting around the edge of the cupcake.
Next, use the Wilton 2D frosting tip with the white frosting. Apply two more circles of frosting but these should be a little smaller than the red frosting layer.
Finally
Star-Spangled Cookies
Red, white, and blue star-spangled cookies are perfect for the 4th of July!Please see just below the recipe for a list of recommended tools for this recipe with links to Amazon, including cookie cutters, gel food coloring, silver star sprinkles, and disco dust Course DessertCuisine American Prep Time 1 hourCook Time 10 minutesTotal Time 1 hour 10 minutes Servings 50 cookies (may vary depending on size of cookie cutter used) Calories 98kcal Author Sam Merritt
gel food coloring I used Americolor “red red” and “electric blue”
silver star sprinkles There’s an Amazon link for these just below the recipe, though I was able to find them cheaper at my local cake shop!
luster dust/disco dust Optional, there is also an Amazon link for this below the recipe
Instructions
Cookies
Preheat oven to 350F.
In KitchenAid mixer or with electric hand-mixer beat your butter until well-creamed.
Add sugar to the mixing bowl and beat with the butter until well combined (about 30 seconds).
Stir in vanilla extract and salt, stirring until well-combined, and scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula to ensure ingredients are well-incorporated.
Add egg yolk and beat until combined
With mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add flour until well-incorporated (you will definitely need to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl several times for this, as the mixture is fairly dry and crumbs tend to settle at the bottom of the bowl).
Transfer dough to clean surface and use your hands to form it into a cohesive ball.
Flatten into a disk (about 1″ thick), cover with clear wrap, and chill for 15 minutes.
Once dough has chilled, transfer it to a clean, lightly floured surface and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out to about ¼” thickness.
Lightly flour your cookie cutters and cut out your shapes, transferring them to ungreased cookie sheet.
Once you have cut out all of the shapes that you can, be sure to re-combine the scraps and roll out and cut out again to get the maximum number of cookies from your dough.
Bake on 350F for 10-12 minutes (longer if you are using larger cookie cutter) and allow cookies to cool completely before dipping in chocolate.
Marble Icing Glaze
In a large bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp milk, and light corn syrup. Whisk until smooth. If mixture is too dry, add additional milk, one teaspoon at a time until mixture can be stirred.
Stir in extracts.
Glaze should be thick, to test that it is the right consistency drop a few droplets on top of a test cookie. If the glaze remains stiff, it needs to be thinned. If it runs off the cookie, it is too thin and needs more powdered sugar. If it settles down smoothly, it is just right.
Divide glaze into four small bowls.
Working with one bowl at a time, use a toothpick (a different toothpick for each color) and dip it into the food coloring bottle and then into the glaze. You want a small dot of food coloring (see video).
Drag a toothpick through the food coloring and glaze until it is prettily swirled/marbled.
Holding your cookie at the base, dip the surface of each cookie into the glaze (take a look at your first cookie — are you satisfied with the pattern? Adjust whorls with additional food coloring as needed).
Once the first bowl runs out or the colors become too muddled together from dipping, move onto your next bowl of food coloring (you will probably need to stir first before adding your coloring, as the surface may have begun to harden).
Repeat steps 5-7 until all cookies have been dipped. Allow them to harden at least 30 minutes (may take longer) for glaze to set. Enjoy!
Keep uneaten cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
(Star-Spangled Cookies https://sugarspunrun.com/star-spangled-cookies/ Find more great recipes at SugarSpunRun.com!)
Whatever you and your family do this Memorial Day, we hope you have a refreshing and blessed day off. The most important thing to remember is that we celebrate this day for the sake of all the brave people who suffered, so that the rest of us don’t have to. We are immensely proud and thankful of all their service over the many years. Thank a veteran today, regardless of what their position was or for how long they served. Respect their stories or their silence. Say a prayer for all of those men and women who went to the city of Heaven far too early. May God bless each and every one of them for all time.
There was no time to include a message in our bulletin this year, but nevertheless, we are extremely grateful to everyone who ordered flowers over the Easter weekend. Thank you for your support. We will continue to pray for those chosen by the memorial lilies;
For Clarence and Marilyn Haugh
For Scott Haugh
For Marion and Eloise Coates
For the Deceased Members of the Robeson Family
For the Members of the Koppi Family
For David and Chuck Weigel
For Don and Rita Wittbecker
For the Robert Gerbick Family
For Steve and Peg Ehlbeck
For Deb and Frank Loksa
For Clare and Andy Loksa
For Frank and Dorothy Conley
For Kenneth and Lois Ehlbeck
For the Deceased Members of the Treinen and Epping Families
*Our secretary is still very new to this job, and is still learning how to process the many events that we hold at our parish. Please forgive her for rookie mistakes like this. With your support, we’ll make sure that next year, our flowers will be raining success.
What is it like to take the “Protecting God’s Children” Course?
It is important that every employee and volunteer takes this course. We don’t force you to do it just for the fun of it: This is a valuable tool that can help keep our parish a safe environment. Please help us spread positivity, protection, and peace throughout our holy walls.
Reporting and Obervation Resources can be found below;
The choice of how to report an allegation of sexual harassment is a personal one, and these options are not mutually exclusive. You may pursue one or more of the following reporting options:
Call the State of Illinois Sexual Harassment & Discrimination Helpline
Report the Incident to Your Employer
File a Charge with the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR)
File a Charge with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Call the State of Illinois Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Helpline
If you or someone you know has experienced or witnessed unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature in the workplace, please call the State of Illinois Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Helpline for assistance. Calls are confidential and can be made anonymously.
Helpline representatives can help callers navigate their numerous reporting options and share additional information related to counseling, legal assistance, and frequently asked questions.
Reporting Sexual Harassment to the IDHR (Contact Information)
To file a charge, call IDHR or visit them online: 1-800-662-3942 | www.ILLINOIS.GOV/DHR
IDHR Offices Locations:
Chicago. Office: 312-814-6200 | 866-740-3953 (TTY), 100 W Randolph St, Suite 10-100, Chicago, IL 60601
Springfield. Office: 217-785- 5100 | 866-740-3953 (TTY), 535 W. Jefferson, 1st Floor, Intake Unit, Springfield, IL 62702
Marion. Office: 618-993-7463 | 217-740-3953 (TTY), 2309 W Main St, Marion, IL 62959
Reporting Sexual Harassment to the U.S. EEOC (Contact Information)
To file a charge, call or visit online: 1-800-669-4000 | www.EEOC.GOV
1-800-669-6820 (TTY for Deaf/Hard of Hearing callers only)
1-844-234-5122 (ASL Video Phone for Deaf/Hard of Hearing callers only)
U.S. EEOC Offices Serving Illinois
Chicago District Office. JCK Federal Building, 230 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, IL 60604
St. Louis District Office. Robert A. Young Federal Building, 1222 Spruce St., Rm. 8.100, St. Louis, MO 63103
Thank you for supporting our mission towards protection!
Prayers for the influence of mothers and motherhood often celebrated in the months of March and May.
A Mother’s Day Prayer
I said a Mother’s Day prayer for you to thank the Lord above for blessing me with a lifetime of your tenderhearted love. I thanked God for the caring you’ve shown me through the years, for the closeness we’ve enjoyed in time of laughter and of tears.
And so, I thank you from the heart for all you’ve done for me and I bless the Lord for giving me the best mother there could be!
– Author Unknown
A Mother’s Love
There are times when only a mother’s love Can understand our tears, Can soothe our disappoints And calm all of our fears. There are times when only a mother’s love Can share the joy we feel When something we’ve dreamed about Quite suddenly is real. There are times when only a mother’s faith Can help us on life’s way And inspire in us the confidence We need from day to day. For a mother’s heart and a mother’s faith And a mother’s steadfast love Were fashioned by the angels And sent from God above.
– Author Unknown
A Prayer in Gratitude for Our Mothers
Good and Gentle God, we pray in gratitude for our mothers and for all the women of theory who have joined with you in the wonder of bringing forth new life. You who became human through a woman, grant to all mothers the courage they need to face the uncertain future that life with children always brings. Give them the strength to live and to be loved in return, not perfectly, but humanly. Give them the faithful support of husband, family and friends as they care for the physical and spiritual growth of their children. Give them joy and delight in their children to sustain them through the trials of motherhood. Most of all, give them the wisdom to turn to you for help when they need it most.
– Author Unknown
Mother’s Everywhere
May the blessing of the Divine Be an especially bright benediction Upon mothers everywhere On your blessed day – On Mother’s Day!
Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” three times before He commissioned Peter to tend His sheep (Jn 21:15-19). It’s a simple question, but not an easy one to answer. Love costs. Love means commitment. Love means giving. When we love our spouses, this means giving out of ourselves for the good of the other. Marriage is a sacrament of service. It’s a sacrament that focuses on giving, rather than getting. Compared to what the world sees as marriage, that thought is different. But this is an expression of the nature of love. True love seeks the good of others.
Jesus asks us the same question that He asked Peter; “Do you love Me?” There is one thing that is different about this question, compared to when Jesus asks anyone else. No other person can love us the way Jesus has already loved us. Jesus died on the cross for us. This service to us alone deserves a response. Yet He wants this response from our hearts freely given. Not only did Jesus already love us in the once and for all sacrifice, but He continues to love us in the many gifts He gives us daily. He never fails in His love for us. Even more so, Jesus does not ask of service to himself. He wants us to respond so that others may be served. He does not ask for Himself. Jesus is not being selfish. He wants His followers to extend His mercy towards others that they too may know of God’s love for them.
When you love someone, you become concerned about what matters to them. Jesus is concerned for others. So Jesus wants us to help Him save souls and to serve them. This is the true Easter response. The Diocese of Rockford has asked us to help them serve others, in their call to serve others. This is our call as well. We are part of the Diocese of Rockford. For the 2022 Diocesan appeal, we help our diocese to help others.
You can help many ways, when you give to the yearly appeal for the Diocese of Rockford. It helps the diocese to train priests and support them in their active ministries. It supports retired priests and helps them keep active in whatever way they can. Your generosity helps support and form young couples to have a good and healthy marriage. It helps us train our teachers in our education programs within the parish and at Aquin. Your donation helps our deacons to answer the call to serving everybody in the community. Because of your donation, priests and deacons can say yes to loving God and neighbor. Donations have helped Catholic Charities to aid 28,756 individuals. Giving to this appeal has a very direct affect in may people’s lives.
This year, our Bishop has continued to help us by cutting out some more of the budget at the Diocesan level. He has passed those savings on to us. This year, the Diocese of Rockford has asked St. Joseph Church to raise $17,056 for the good of the people. St Mary’s Church is asked to come up with $13,103. Since the Diocese is on a budget, any money collected over this time will come back to each parish respectively.
I hope we can all do our part in responding to the call of Jesus within our means. I am always amazed of how much Jesus has done for me. Personally, I can only hope that I can do enough for Him. However, He does not just love me alone. He does not ask for Himself. I hate to think of those who are left out. “Yes Lord, You know everything, and You know that I love You.”
Father Barr
Diocesan Appeal 2022
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Jesus asks Peter a question three times in the Gospel of John that He asks each of us: “Do you love me?”
Most of us, like Peter, would say, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” And just as He did with Peter, Jesus recognizes the limitations of our love, calls us all to His fold as disciples, and asks us to tend to one another – His sheep.
Our love for God grows our love for others. The more love we have for Him, the more our love motivates us to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ – the more we can tend to one another.
Your contribution to the 2022 Diocesan Appeal helps tend to the many needs of our Church. The funds from this appeal support our parishes, our priests, and ministries of the Diocese of Rockford that in turn tend to the faithful and ensure that young and old continue to be nurtured in the sacraments and educated in the faith.
Your gift to the 2022 Diocesan Appeal can also be your response to God’s call to care for others. Along with addressing the spiritual needs of its flock, the Church is committed to caring for families, children, and the elderly who are challenged in meeting basic needs. Those struggling to find food, clothing, and shelter; women afraid of unplanned pregnancies; refugees searching for a place to call home; the elderly who wonder if they are alone – our love for God compels us to respond to all of these, in love.
We are called as Catholics to treat all with dignity and respect, and to tend to all God’s creation in love and true service. May you give generously to the 2022 Diocesan Appeal, as we all work together to love the Lord, and our neighbor. And, may our love and service inspire others to do the same.
I am grateful for you and whatever you are able to give. Be assured of my continued prayers for you and your family.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Bishop David J. Malloy Bishop of Rockford
We have exciting news around our parishes. Beautiful hand made crafts are both going on sale, and also coming for free at St. Joseph and St. Mary chruches.
Crystal’s Rosaries!
Crystal Nicklaus is crafting incredible detailed rosaries for us, and she is even offering them for FREE! Work like this takes a lot of talent and dedication, so donations for her work is gratefully accepted too. See the details below;
Elle’s Pottery!
Some of you may remember that the St. Joseph breezeway was home to the sale of beautiful hand-made pottery and jewlery over the holiday season. Elle is proud to continue hosting the store in the breezeway, and will be continually adding new pieces to keep things fresh! She will be stocking up on earrings, which became a crowd favorite, and can’t wait to show off the rest of these items as well.
Her store operates on an honor system. Customers are to place the money in an envelope marked “Elle’s Pottery” and drop it off at the mail slot in the office. Each item is labeled with the asking pricePlease do consider purchasing something, or even just giving donations. She is putting an incredible amount of time into these, and all the profits go directly towards helping the parish grow.
Please support these wonderful artists, so that their talent may continue to spread joy to our churches!
ANNOUNCEMENT The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Blue Nuns) invite you to be a part of our Associate. The meeting usually takes place on the first Saturday of the month, but for the month of May we will have the meeting on May 14th, 2022 @ 11am at the Convent/MRC New Members are welcome!